


Treasured

by Captain_Tomate



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, F/F, a slightly late bday gift for joltik!!, dragons babey!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-13
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-27 09:11:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17763959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Tomate/pseuds/Captain_Tomate
Summary: Himiko might be the first person to be so close to a dragon.





	Treasured

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Twilight_Joltik](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twilight_Joltik/gifts).



> Happy Birthday, Joltik!! I love you, friendo, and I'm sorry this is a bit late! Hopefully you like it~ ♡♡♡

Ever since she was a little girl, Himiko had just been a magnet for magic. Many important people in her life ended up being some kind of magical creature or had some other kind of link to it. In high school, she learned her best friend was a ghost. Her first crush had been on a mischievous fairy. Her next door neighbor and their wife were a demon and dark witch respectively. Even if she wanted to, she doubted she could escape the little bubble of magic encasing her everyday life.

 

Instead of pushing away the fantastical parts of her life, she embraced them wholeheartedly. Sadly, she didn’t have true magic of her own, but it didn’t stop her from proclaiming herself a mage. Her choice of clothes could get her weird looks, especially the much-too-big pointed hat, but she did love it. When not performing simple “spells” at birthday parties, she was helping at Kirumi’s tiny magic shop in exchange for both money and potion-brewing lessons.

 

Life was good.

 

Himiko pushed her hat back, examining the rows of books spanning the surprisingly spacious walls of the magic shop. The hefty tome in her grasp was about healing potions, a frustratingly small category, and that meant a tiring search was in her near future.

 

As soon as she found what she was looking for, the tiny bell rung- a customer. Himiko hopped down from the rolling ladder, “Welcome back, Miss Kaede. Anything I can help you with today?” She drawled, tilting her head in her typical lazy fashion.

 

Miss Kaede was the only other witch she knew- and Shuichi the ghost’s older half sister. Though she lived closeby, she usually didn’t stop by the shop often; focused more on her family and music career than the typical witchy business. Himiko liked her though- she was kind, and always had some new trinket to give the redhead from her last trip.

 

With her typical kind smile, Kaede responded, “Just some healing salve, as usual, and I was wondering if you had any practice wands?” She requested, as Himiko ducked below the counter to grab the salve, “Miu thinks it’s about time Keebo learns some magic for himself.”

 

“It’s good to start early, from what Kirumi tells me. I’m sure he’ll get the hang of it in no time.”

 

Kaede nodded, looking wistful, and Himiko excused herself to the backroom to locate a box of practice wands. She found one soon enough, collecting dust, and she exchanged both money and a few more scraps of conversation with Kaede before the older woman was on her way.

 

The rest of the day was slow, and before she knew it Rantaro (he was a plant monster- very nice guy, she had known him since college, and he had even helped her get this job) was stepping in to replace her as the sun set. Tugging on her coat, she said goodbye to Rantaro and started on her normal trek home.

 

Due to the secrecy of magic to anyone who wasn't magic or sensitive to it, Kirumi had hidden her little shop in the woods and marked it with a magic field that would tell other magical beings it was there. It was fascinating, but also made her commute home tedious on those days she was particularly exhausted and not fancying the idea of watching out for gnarled tree roots wanting to trip her

 

What tripped her today wasn’t a root, though. She could tell from the way it caught her foot. Roots were hard, didn’t budge slightly when her foot caught on them. Whatever that had been, it had some give, meaning it was soft and definitely not a root.

 

Her theory was only backed up when a growl rattled her bones and shook the ground she sat on, piercing acidic green eyes staring at her from thick foliage.

 

(She should have ran, if just for safety. But, self preservation had never been a strong suit-)

 

Pushing herself to her feet, she hesitated for only a second before stepping forward. Pushing the glossy clumps of leaves aside, she nearly gasped as she gazed at what lay in the clearing. It was a  _ dragon _ . An in-the-flesh dragon. It (he- she- they- Did dragons even have genders?) laid in a coiled up pile, much like a snake, but with multiple sets of powerful limbs all attached with razor sharp claws and large, large wings sprouting from the creature’s back. 

 

The dragon used it’s front pair of legs to push the front of its body up, roaring with as much strength as it could muster. It nearly knocked Himiko over again, from the force, but it wasn’t much stronger than the simple growl from last time. The dragon was breathing heavily, legs collapsing underneath it as soon as it’s vocalization melted away.

 

Carefully, Himiko scanned their surroundings for any reasons for the dragon’s weakness. On one of its coils, a nasty gash dripped with blood. (It seemed to burn right through the grass it dripped onto. Somehow, that scared Himiko less than when she thought of the possibility of the injury  _ killing  _ the dragon.)

 

She tugged off her satchel, grabbing one of her extra, old coats and tearing it into pieces. It wouldn’t cover  _ all  _ of it, of course, but it would stop most of the blood from dripping out anymore. As she approached, the dragon growled, but soon it quieted- seemingly realizing what she was about to do. It even uncurled, making it easier for the girl to reach the injury.

 

Wrapping it the best she could, she found herself absentmindedly admiring the dragon. With every minute twitch, it’s black scales burst into a rainbow of colors, before settling down again. They were strong, too, thicker around areas with thin silver lines- which coated its body. A fighter, then, with a plethora of either trophies or losses.

 

(Judging from the majority of small scrapes, Himiko liked to believe that it was mostly wins.)

 

“How did you end up here, huh?” Himiko whispered, mostly to herself and the night air. Being careful not to touch any blood, she rubbed down another bandage, “I thought dragons were, at least, extinct. If not entirely fictional.”

 

After a few moments of silence, a displeased rumble rose from the dragon’s throat. It craned it’s flexible neck around, the largest eye (out of a set of five) blinked at her slowly. As if it was asking her “that’s the only question you have.”

 

Himiko puffed her cheeks out, “I think it’s a good question, for your information!”

 

A rumble almost knocked her off. The dragon was…  _ laughing  _ at her. Himiko blinked, trying to process this. This dragon seemed very, very intelligent. Some possibilities as to why flew through her mind. Were all dragons like this- had she found some special elder dragon- was someone cursed to be a dragon? Or dragons were like hyenas, laughing when nervous?

 

“Okay, I gotta know, nod if you understand me.” Himiko asked, receiving a diligent nod as soon as she finished speaking. “Alright… that’s cool. Do you need better medical attention? I can run back to the magic shop...”

 

The dragon snorted and nodded, so Himiko ran to shop after patting it’s scaled side.

 

* * *

 

Rantaro was startled when she burst in, but didn’t ask questions- sensing her urgency. He left to go get Kirumi, while she grabbed as many larger jars of healing salve and rolls of actual bandages as she could. Many she should grab magic food substitute as well? Could dragons have that?

 

“Ah, what has you so hurried, Himiko?” Her employer’s even, gentle voice met her ears as she grabbed a packet of magic food. The witch came closer, as Rantaro hovered behind her, both of them curious to why she was acting so strangely.

 

Himiko bit her lip, “I found a dragon in the woods. It’s hurt. So… I’m gonna help it.”

 

“A dragon, huh? I haven’t seen one of those in ages…” Kirumi grinned, “I believe you’ll need help with that, some magic salves aren’t safe for dragons. I’ll be sure to use a spell for your dragon friend.”

 

* * *

 

So, that’s how Himiko had Kirumi following her to the dragon. Which, for it’s part, was still in the little clearing. It raised its head when the two women approached, eyes narrowing at the sight of Kirumi. Himiko smiled shyly, “Sorry, but she said she’ll help.”

 

“I haven’t seen many like you… But the healing salve won’t do much I’m afraid.” Kirumi’s hands glowed after she removed her gloves, and the dragon seemed… surprisingly calm. Not even flinching as magic unwrapped it’s makeshift bandages and the witch’s glowing hands touched gingerly around the injury. It slowly closed, and Himiko watched- fascinated as always by Kirumi’s natural power.

 

The gash was soon replaced by another silver scar, as Kirumi wiped away the dried blood carefully. Himiko pushed aside all the unused salves in her bag, grabbing some of the food and hoisting it towards the dragon. “Here, you must be hungry after all this, huh?”

 

With unexpected gentleness, the dragon grabbed the package, throwing its head back and gulping it down like the large bag was nothing. Even though it was about the size of a dog food bag and Himiko had only gotten it here via enchantment.

 

Satisfied, the dragon laid its head on the grass with a happy huff.

 

Kirumi turned to her, magic deactivated and hands covered by her gloves, “Well, I believe that your dragon will be as good as new. I’ll take what’s left in the bag back to the shop, so you can make your way home, Himiko.”

 

Handing over the bag, Himiko thanked her. As soon as the witch disappeared into the foliage, she turned to the dragon. “I hope you’ll find your way home soon, Dragon, thank you for letting us help you…”

 

Intelligent green eyes blinked at her, following her movement as she began to leave. It pushed itself to its claws, matching its steps with her. Himiko turned around, “Are we going the same way? Or… Are you gonna follow me?” She questioned, drawing her eyebrows together with concern. There was no way she could sneak such a big dragon into her home, but what if she couldn’t discourage from following her?

 

Unfortunately, it nodded. Himiko took in a deep breathe, releasing it in a worried sigh. Okay. This wasn’t good. She could only hope it understood her dilema and didn’t take offense. “I can’t sneak you into the city, not to mention my apartment. So… I can visit sometimes, okay? Promise.”

 

The gigantic, fire-breathing beast that could probably kill her with a particularly strong exhale… whimpered. Like a gigantic puppy. Himiko almost gave in instantly, but hardened her expression, “That’s all I can offer.”

 

(By the time she got home that night, she had promised a dragon to visit every weekend she could. Her ability to resist the surprisingly expressive dragon face counted as a win in her book.)

 

* * *

 

Soon, Himiko fell into a new routine. During the week, she performed every so often, doing odd jobs when that work didn’t turn a profit. On Wednesdays she visited her moms, or they visited her. Shuichi sometimes floated into her apartment to hang out and watch some new anime they both put off alone. On weekends were her shifts at Kirumi’s magic shop, and before when she went home she made sure to carve out room for the dragon.

 

Through the months they had been building a friendship, she had learned a few things. First of all, the dragon was girl, and Himiko had dubbed her “Tenko”. She had human-level intelligence, as well as double the magic power of most magical creatures. She greatly enjoyed green and blue, liked curling around Himiko, and liked to bring her full bushes of berries after she had refused the first gift of a deer.

 

Despite her constant desire to go home and sleep, she found herself spending as much time as possible with Tenko. She had even started to warm up dinners at work and bring them to the clearing to eat with the dragon.

 

She stirred her noodles, leaning against Tenko’s warm scales. She was trapped in her coils, keeping out the chill from Winter. As with most reptiles, Tenko was getting sleepier as the temperature dropped. The thought of her hibernating made Himiko lose her appetite, and Tenko grumbled when she noticed her human companion’s troubled expression.

 

“Oh, sorry, Tenko. I… nyeh.” She huffed, “I just… Do you hibernate?”

 

Another soft grumble accompanied by a nod. Himiko sighed, “It’s silly, but… I’m worried about you. There’s no caves around here, and you can’t just stay out in the open. Someone might find you, if you don’t freeze completely when it begins to snow. And if you fly off...”

 

There’s an unspoken “what if you never come back?” Tenko looked at the ground, before uncoiling and trundling off to her typical spot to sleep it. (It retains heat the best- it makes Himiko worry even more for when that spot won’t do much good to help.) Empty ramen cup in hand, she sighed, “I’ll be back next weekend.”

 

The only response she gets is a flick of Tenko’s tail.

 

* * *

 

Himiko’s apartment is small and cramped. She’s stuffed as many books she can onto the small bookshelves in her study, and she crams clothes into any extra drawers she had in her bedroom. It’s clean, and surprisingly well-kept for someone with well known lazy tendencies. It’s her home, and even if it’s cramped she loves it.

 

She lives right next to Kirumi’s “human” dwelling, so she often has a ride to work. Her other neighbor is the overwhelmingly enthusiastic werewolf Shuichi talks about a lot, rooming with a intimidating naga she doesn’t see often.

 

(She wonders if any of their other neighbors notice the bursts of magic energy from Kirumi attempting new spells with her partner, or the way Kaito escapes to the roof during the full moon.)

 

It’s a Friday night when she hears the knock.

 

Waking up from an impromptu nap, she rubbed her eyes free from extra sleep. She shuffled to the door, hoping it wasn’t the day a neighbor came to complain about “disturbances.”

 

Pulling open the door, she’s face-to-face with an unfamiliar girl. Her clothes are about as plane as possible, long black (almost green) hair twirling down to the floor in impossible braids. She beams when their eyes meet (again, green, and it would be familiar if it was not more subdued--) and Himiko found herself being twirled around in a vice-like grip.

 

“Tenko has found you, Himiko! You do not know how much magic she had to use to locate you!”

 

She’s placed down onto the floor, and she can finally catch up to the exclamation. Eyes widening, she examined the girl, “Tenko? It’s you?” Himiko can hear the disbelief and quiet astonishment in her own voice, making it even softer and far-away then usual.

 

Tenko nodded, and her eyes flashed acidic green in the flourescent light of Himiko’s apartment. (For a second, Himiko swore she sees all five.) “Tenko finally regained enough magic power to retain her human form! So, she tracked your own magic energy to find you! It was very weak, so Tenko is glad she found you in time!”

 

“I’m glad you found me, Tenko…” Himiko nearly whispers, amazed by her dragon-turned-human companion. “Wow... Oh, uh, come in!“ She doesn’t know what else to say, now that she’s actually able to have a full conversation instead of focusing on body language and small noises. Proper etiquette is probably her best bet.

 

With a spring in her step, Tenko hopped into Himiko’s apartment. “Your cave is very nice, Himiko! Where is your nest? Or your hoard?” She smiled, prompting a nervous laugh from Himiko.

 

“Ah, well, I don’t have either of those things.”

 

“Oh!” Tenko gasped, before puffing up indignantly, “Well, where do you sleep then, Himiko??”

 

So, Himiko showed her her bed. It was the most expensive thing in the house, almost, because Himiko had reasoned that it was where most of her resting time would be spent. It was soft and cushy and well worth the price tag. But, Tenko looked like Himiko had just told her she slept on newspapers like a stray.

 

Tenko pounced on her bed, burrowing under the covers and poking out at the foot of the bed. (Himiko resisted a laugh- Tenko’s cheeks being puffed out and red with irritation was just… Adorably funny.) “This is all wrong!! Nests are way better, even if I do prefer to sleep on my hoard…”

 

That’s how the issue ends… At least, Himiko thinks it ends there. When she woke up, Tenko immediately dragged her to a pile of… any soft things Tenko had found in the apartment. The dragon was puffing up with so much pride, Himiko couldn’t bear to tell her that humans couldn’t sleep like that.

 

* * *

 

Life carries on as normal, with a dragon-shaped addition.

 

Adjusting to a dragon and the strange behaviors that follow… It’s actually shockingly easy. Himiko woke up with Tenko curled around her, growling when she tried to get out of their nest. (Which, thankfully, she convinced Tenko to actually move to sit on the bed.) Then the bleary dragon would either follow her to the kitchen or doze back off until Himiko woke her up for breakfast.

 

Tenko had complained about Himiko going to work and tried many times to get her back to bed. As soon as she had gotten used to her human form and most of the customs, Kirumi had actually hired her to share Himiko’s shifts. The rest of the week, Tenko had taken to aikido as a way to burn off the energy she just couldn’t contain as a human in a small living space.

 

On the weekends, when Himiko and Tenko got off work, sometimes the dark-haired girl would turn back into dragon form to burn off that energy. It fascinated Himiko to no end every time.

 

“Himiko!!” Tenko exclaimed, bringing Himiko back to the present. Humming, she signalled for Tenko to continue. “Let’s go flying after work!” She chirped. Himiko smiled and nodded her affirmative, making her roommate beam and run to the backroom.

 

Kaede chuckled, observing the whole scene from where she was browsing simple kid’s spellbooks with Keebo. “She’s a sweetheart. I’m glad you found her, Himiko.”

 

“I feel lucky, honestly. She’s a great friend to have.”

 

(Himiko didn’t fully understand the knowing smile Kaede flashed her, before her attention was taken away by her son once more.)

 

* * *

 

They have a usual spot for flying, where the trees are the thickest but allow Tenko to land quickly in case of any type of danger. Himiko watched the dragon do wide, vulture-esque circles overhead, strong wings carrying her snake like body. It was an amazing display, and Himiko felt lucky to be the one to see it.

 

By the time the sun was fully gone, Tenko descended from her place in the sky to Himiko’s side. The smaller human was nearly knocked over by the joyful nuzzle that was given to her. She laughed, once she stabilized.

 

Tenko picked her up by the collar, curling up and tucking her in happily. Himiko stroked her scales, closing her eyes with a sigh. “Hey, Ten?”

 

When a growl reverberated through her body, she continued, “I was wondering… Do you miss your home? I don’t know where you came from before this… I don’t know much at all about dragons, really. Maybe knowing about your life before this world would help lead into learning more.”

 

Light surrounded Tenko, and Himiko felt arms replace the coils around her. Placing her head on Himiko’s, Tenko hummed, “Well… Dragons have hid in caves all over for centuries. I hid in an underground cavern, but when I woke up someone had undug me. The rest of that, up until you helped me, is kind of a blur. I think I scared someone and they retaliated? And that’s why you found me hurt…

 

“As for missing where I came from… Not at all. I’d give up the biggest hoard in the world to spend more time with you in this world.” Even if she couldn’t see her face, Himiko felt Tenko’s face heat up with a blush, “You’re my new treasure.”

 

It was Himiko’s turn to blush. They had a lot to learn about each other, that was for sure, but… Right now, sitting with Tenko under a starry sky, Himiko had no doubt in her mind that she wouldn’t give up her title as “Tenko’s treasure” for anything else this world had to offer.


End file.
